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Assessment planner: purpose, format, structure, grading and feedback 

We have gathered some key questions (at the top of each table) that you might wish to consider when planning assessment.   
 
For each question, we have included some examples, followed by FutureLearn’s reflections (in blue). Not all of these will be relevant 
to you and your context - to make this planner work for you, delete, remix or add - as appropriate. 
 

What is the purpose of the assessment you’re planning? 

Informal Formative Summative Formal

● Homework ● For the students to ● Assessing whether LOs ● Grade-carrying

● Quizzes
● Non-standardized
● In-class observation
● Concept checks
identify or be involved in
their learning
● For teachers to teach
responsively
● To help students evaluate
their progress
have been met coursework
● Effectiveness of learning ● Summative
in overall unit of study ● Norm referenced
● Detailed in-class ● Criterion referenced
observations ● Standardised 
● Contributing to reports

If the assessment in question is informal and formative, you might
have much more scope for identifying alternatives to traditional
classroom assessments.
Much of this can be asynchronous, but you may wish to conduct some
informal formative assessment in one-to-ones, or synchronous
sessions.
Informal and formative assessment often doesn’t have strict deadlines
or marking workflows - which keeps them flexible.
Formal and summative assessment can be more complicated and will
require more setting-up and preparation to ensure that your students
are familiar with the method you choose. While many will jump to ‘live’
or proctored / invigilated assessment, it’s important to be sensitive to
the difficulties of ‘live’ assessment online. Connectivity, accessibility
and ‘monitoring’ by proctors can all become barriers.
Much of this could still be done asynchronously - plagiarism software
can help determine authentic work and marking, presentations can be
recorded with follow-up questions via shorter chat / live sessions.

 
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What do students need to demonstrate in this assessment? 

Retention  Application  Reflection  Creativity 
Comprehension  Critical analysis  

What format does this assessment u

​ sually​ take? 
Informal  Controlled (tend to be  Freer production  Assessment dynamics 
  right/wrong answers)   
Retention    Application 
Comprehension  Retention  Critical analysis 
Reflection  Comprehension  Reflection 
    Creativity 

● Concept check questions  ● Closed-book  ● Creative production  ● Individual 

and answers in-class  ● Multiple choice questions  ● Presentation  ● Small Group / pairs 
● Instruction check  ● Cloze questions  ● Practical demonstration  ● One session 
questions  ● Diagrams or drawn  ● Free text answers  ● Multiple sessions 
● Teacher observation of  answers  ● Essay/extended writing  ● Timed 
behaviour or interactions  ● Open-book  ● Project  ● Proctored 
● …  ● …  ● Portfolio  ● … 
  ● …   

This type of assessment could  This type of assessment could  These will require careful  The problematic parts here are 
happen in synchronous sessions  happen asynchronously with  planning and set up with  ‘timed’ and ‘proctored’ 
or ‘live’ via messaging or  questions designed to be less  examples and guidelines to  assessment. These can be done 
communication with  essay to Google or search on  support students’ approach to  online but put extra pressure on 
parents/carers.  Wikipedia.  quite independent and  students, may be expensive and 
  autonomous assessment.  difficult to set up and require 
Tools such as Typeform or    institutional buy in or 
Google Forms could help to  However - they’re all ideal for  development of Virtual Learning 
control how students submit.  asynchronous evidence of  Environments or third-party apps. 
learning.  Ask yourself - is it really 
necessary? 

 
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Where does this assessment fit into the student’s overall learning?
Where does this assessment  How does this assessment  How does the assessment link  Does the assessment feed into 
come in the course as a whole?  connect to what students have  into what comes next?  resources and records such as 
At the beginning? At the end?  learned so far, any previous  Individual Learning plans or goal 
assessments or assignments?  setting?

Ensure that students know what  Again- is it clearly connected to  Is it part of a feedback loop and  Can you take clear actions from 
they are being assessed on and it  the learning outcomes and  could it help you iterate and plan  this assessment to motivate and 
is clearly connected to what they  objectives that have been  your own teaching, as well as  keep students on track as they 
have already covered. It can be  covered? Is your assessment  supporting your students to  continue learning? 
helpful to set informal homework  testing what it is supposed to  monitor progress? 
assessments in advance so they  test? 
can see what is coming, and 
when. 

What might the impact of assessment have on your students/their carers? 

Accessibility  Digital Literacies Genre awareness  Assessment preparation

● Technical set-up  ● Sites and tools required  ● Familiarity with the type  ● Sufficient time to prepare 
● Scheduling  ● Submission requirements  of assessment task   ● Guidance on how to study 
● Bandwidth    ● Academic literacies, for  or prepare 
● Working environment  example essay writing  ● Awareness of how to get 
● Additional needs  conventions  help 
 

Particularly to be considered if  How familiar are your students  How familiar are your students  Are you giving your students 
thinking about synchronous  with using the platform or tool  with what they are being  guidance and time to effectively 
sessions.   you’re thinking of? Avoid tech  assessed on? They might be  study, prepare and submit?  
frustrations and losing work at all  content confident, but the  Do you have a plan to answer 
costs.  medium is new.   questions or offer support or 

 
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guidance? 
 
 
 

What is your workflow for grading and feedback? 

What are the criteria against  How will you assess/deliver  What student-facing form will What will the results of this 
which students are assessed?  feedback?  results for this assessment assessment be used for? 
take?   

● Do you need a rubric?  ● Mark written work  ● Grades/marks ● Student self-assessment 

● Do you need to compare  ●
or norm-reference?  ●
● Do you need to keep  ●
records of the  ●
assessment?  ●
● Peer-feedback based on  ●
clear guidelines  ●
● …  ●
Moderate  ● Qualitative feedback ● Diagnostic assessment 
Invigilate  ● Verbal / recorded ● Grade for the class 
Standardise  feedback ● Grade counting towards a 
Write a report-card  ● Marked-up drafts final award 
Score/Grade  ● Tutorial style summary  ● Qualification (externally 
Summarise main points  ● ...  awarded) 
Utilise peer review  ● Entry to next stage of 
…  education 
● Reassurance / progress  
● … 

Online assessment requires very  Take this into careful  Again - all of this takes time.  Many of the above will be decided 
clear guidelines so students know  consideration. Online assessment  Working out what you need to do  by your institution, but all of this 
what they are aiming for and what  and feedback can impact  and how long it could take is part  will impact your work as you 
success could look like.  workload, and assessment with  of deciding on the most  prepare results and reports for 
late or sparse feedback will not  appropriate assessment.  record-keeping. 
support your students to   
progress.  You may want to lightly assess 
just to show to learners they are 
on-track during uncertain times.